Three Little Birds
by PrettyGirlWonder
Summary: Jason Todd prepares to take his former mentor's place as Batman, but first, he must deal with his competition: original Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson, and his replacement, Tim Drake.


Prologue

**Jason**

I hate this.

In my line of work, planning to be in one place for too long is dangerous. I don't like being anywhere I know I can be found easily. And right now I feel like a needle that lost its haystack.

I don't understand why Talia needs to see me here. She knows I have work to do. Preparing myself for what lies ahead will take time, time I shouldn't be wasting making house calls. Still, I suppose I have an obligation to Talia, not the least of which stems from the fact that she saved my life—so to speak.

Sarajevo is miserable in January. The cold cuts through your skin like a blade and no amount of clothing protects you from it completely. Even with all of Talia's precautions, like the entirely bulletproof car (more or less resembling a tank) she commissioned to fetch me from the airport, or the four heavily armed guards I'm forced to share the ride with, I still feel highly unprotected in this city. With the head of the al Ghul family dead nothing keeps Sarajevo from becoming a landfill of crime and pestilence. Not to mention that I was banished from Ras al Ghul's house several months ago after Talia decided to drop my resurrected ass into the Lazarus Pit and I came out a little worse for the wear. I can only imagine that a number of his faithful assassins would jump at the chance to off the formerly deceased former Robin simply because of my affiliations with Bruce.

One of the guards shouts something in Arabic to the driver and the car stops. The guards get out first—Talia's orders—and I follow.

A tall, horse drawn carriage is waiting a few feet in front of us. I stare at it, dumbfounded, partly because its presence makes little sense considering the nature of my visit and partly because I'm fairly sure there's no way all four guards and myself will fit. The door of the carriage swings open and I see Talia's face. Her eyes latch onto mine and she beckons me without a word or even a gesture. I see her shoot a brief glance at the guards and immediately I hear them pile back into the tank-car and drive away. I'm slightly relieved. I wasn't planning on discussing anything with Talia in their company.

I reach the carriage quickly and hop inside. Talia sits across from me, legs and arms crossed, her dark hair covered almost entirely by a furry black head wrap. The only part of her not covered are her eyes and they pierce through me, colder than the dropping temperatures outside.

"What, no hug? No warm kiss?" I say playfully, attempting to break the silence. Talia and I have only ever been intimate once and was a night neither one of us ever speaks of. I have a feeling she'd rather not face the idea that she slept with her one of her soul mate's surrogate sons. And I followed her lead in not bringing it up. Still, I can't help but poke at her a bit now. For one thing, I'm pissed enough that she brought me all the way out here in the middle of my training. For another, her lack of a sense of humor makes her easy prey.

"No jokes today, Jason," she says icily, but I maintain my smirk. "I have urgent business to discuss with you here and I need you to be on a plane to Gotham by nightfall."

I am both too cold and too surprised to respond. The carriage lurches to a stop and Talia gets out first. Her house is huge, though still comparatively smaller than her father's. I'm slightly relieved that we aren't at the al Ghul estate, but Talia's mention of Gotham is still burning in my ears and I don't have time to feel anything but cold and fear as I follow her inside.

The house is fiercely warm and I strip off two layers of heavy clothing before collapsing in front of the fire blazing in her parlor. Talia is silent as she watches me bathe in the heat from the flames. Once I'm warm enough to think straight, I turn to face her.

"I'm not going back to Gotham yet, Talia."

"You don't have a choice, Jason," she snaps, tossing a thick manila folder at me. "My father is dead. Batman is to blame. It's time you go back and exact the revenge you and I deserve."

There are pictures of a young boy in my old Robin uniform inside the folder, as well as information about the Joker's current whereabouts. I stare at the new Robin for a moment—confused, hurt, but most of all, angry. My replacement.

"He's been operating for a few years now. From what my Intel gathered, the boy's name is Timothy Drake and he donned the mantle a few months after your death. You were easily replaced, Jason. We are all expendable to Batman. It must end. And you are the only one who can do it."

This isn't flattery. Talia knows I'm the only one with enough working knowledge of Bruce's entire operation to bring it down. She also knows that I've been stalling. The truth is, I haven't made up my mind yet. As much as killing Bruce makes sense to me, something keeps me from it. A part of me doesn't want it to be too easy. I want him to fight me. Not only physically, but mentally. I want him to struggle with the notion that unless he kills me, I'm going to end him. I want him to make the choice, the choice he never made with the Joker. The choice that could have saved my life.

But I'm also not ready. Even with Bruce's training and the League of Assassins-not to mention the handful of instructors Talia has sent my way-I still don't feel ready to go back. I need an opening act. Something to distract Bruce with while I organize myself. I can't just run into Gotham, guns blazing, demanding Batman's head on a platter. I need to introduce a new order in Gotham. Show Bruce exactly what he's been doing wrong before I take his place.

I look at Talia, who's not looking at me. She's staring out the lancet window near the fireplace and I know she's waiting for me to protest again. I stand behind her, watching the world turn white.

"I'm not ready to face him, Talia. I need-"

"You need help," she says, cutting me off.

"Well, I wouldn't say that exactly-"

"You need someone to take the pressure off of your arrival. Redirect his focus in order to properly reintroduce yourself. I have arranged for you to meet with someone who can assist you with that. He calls himself Hush."

"How appropriate."

"Yes. I thought so. I've arranged your transportation to the airport and your lodgings upon arrival in Gotham. Hush will meet you in Crime Alley."

"This plan reeks of memory lane," I muttered. "Don't you think Crime Alley is sort of a dangerous place for a first meeting?"

"Bruce has been avoiding it when possible. And I trust you to make yourself scarce if trouble should find you."

"I wasn't just talking about Bruce."

"The Joker is not your concern. Not yet. You will have time to act out that particular revenge later."

"Great," I say, only half kidding.

"And as for your identity," Talia continues, turning to a servant who had appeared very suddenly at her shoulder, "I've also taken care of that. I trust you'll find it...amusing."

First she hands me a sheathed weapon. I pull it out by the handle, weigh it in my hand.

"It is a kris dagger," she says, watching me closely. "An exact replica of the one my father carried."

I nod silently and place the dagger in an empty holster at my waist. Next, Talia presents me with a compact box. It doesn't weigh much, but I can tell whatever is inside is large. I tilt the box's lid back and for a moment I'm dumbfounded. Slowly, the realization dawns on me and the irony of the shiny red helmet that lays nestled in the velvet that lines the box makes me burst into laughter.

The Red Hood.

The Joker's first alter ego, before Bruce's mistake made him the psychopath he is now.

I was the second Robin.

Now, I would be the second Red Hood.

History, I think, still chuckling as I lift the helmet over my head and lower it over my eyes, has a way of repeating itself.


End file.
